The Doc (Z Force Medic)

Every military force needs a field medic, and Action Force was no different.

I find the early Action Force figures fascinating not only for the quality of their sculpts, but also for their resemblance to real world military uniforms and equipment. While Hasbro’s 80s GI Joes were positioned 10 minutes into the future, much of the Palitoy original Z Force seemed rooted in the (then) recent past or current day.

Funny enough, this figure was code named The Doc. I guess adding a “the” separated it just enough from the GI Joe side of things. There’s some pretty heavy parts reused going on, but the unique white and red coloring helps him stand out from his green Z Force comrades.

Like the Joe team’s Doc, the Z Force medic came equipped with a flare launcher. This time it was molded in red. The figure also featured an exclusive to the UK mold of a medical kit. It’s pretty impressive, and complete with a set of stickers that provided a detailed picture of the interior contents. Unfortunately, the stretcher didn’t make the trip to the UK until the Hasbro mold of Doc came over the following year. Fun fact: the Action Force release of the 1983 Doc mold hails from Kingston, Jamaica.

If you want an o-ring version of this figure, you’re in luck. The 2010 GI Joe convention set paid homage to the figure with a similar recolor of Battle Corps Lifeline. It’s a pretty snazzy looking figure, and this time, he got a stretcher.